The Edwards Freeman Nut Company in Conshohocken attracts customers from all over

CONSHOHOCKEN — Buried in the middle of a Conshohocken is a candy store that many have heard of, but may have a hard time finding. The Edwards Freeman Nut Company is in a brick building that is in the middle of a residential neighborhood and is difficult for people outside the area to find.

Store Manager Mike Shield, who has been working at the store for 18 years, said that everyone in the area has known about Edwards Freeman for a while.

The Fitzpatrick family has come from Massachusetts and Maryland for the past 10 years to visit their uncle, who lives in the area, for Christmas and they make sure they always visit the shop.

Henery Fitzpatrick of Boston, Mass. said that he liked how many different gummies were in the shop.

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“One time when I came here I got gummy Octopi,” he said.

Shield says that the people have always been attracted to the shop usually from the smell of the peanut butter being made. But now people come for the fresh popcorn.

“I try to make fresh popcorn as often as I can,” Shield said.

The companyis mostly known for the peanut butter that is made in the shop in the back.

Rob Wheeler of Conshohocken said that he has been coming to the shop for the past 30 years and would make the trip from Mt. Airy to get peanut butter.

“They make peanut butter without salt,” Wheeler said outside the shop. Wheeler went on to express his excitement about coming to the shop at least once a month to get a five pound tub of peanut butter.

“They used to fill up 25, one pound jars of peanut butter for us,” Wheeler said. He also mentioned that he has never been upset with their customer service in the 30 years he has been going to the store.

Apart from their region famous peanut butter, Edwards Freeman has a variety of candy ranging from hard candy to gummies.

They also do holiday gift baskets which customers create online and pick up at the store.

“We do a lot of our business during the holidays,” Shield said. He added that most people are not in the mood for candy during the summer.

The shop is a relatively small place. It used to be a larger factory but the upper level floors of the building are rented out for office space. The company only has six employees but hires a few extra people to help with the holidays.

“The people that help for the holidays are only here for a day or two and then they are gone for the rest of the year,” Shield said.

Edwards Freeman Nut Company has been in Conshohocken since 1957 when it was originally called the Rickely Nut Company.

“The Nelson family bought the company in 1999 and changed the name,” Shield said. The original owner is not completely out of the picture. The Edwards Freeman company gets the nuts to make their peanut butter from him is Suffolk, Va.

“I also give tours during the summer for the kids,” Shield said.

During the tours he dresses up like an old peanut butter sales man and shows the children the different kinds of peanuts and how the peanut butter is made.

Edwards Freeman Nut Company is on 411 East Hector Street in Conshohocken. For more information on the company, go to Edwardsfreeman.com.